FSA amends full-cost recovery proposals

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has amended its controversial plans for full-cost recovery to offer more support to small businesses, it announced today.

In a paper that will be discussed at the open board meeting on 25 May, the FSA set out its revised plans. The key amendments are to expand the number of meat plants included in the ‘small business with a low throughput’ category in order to appease industry concerns. It will also begin the three-year phased implementation of full cost recovery in April 2012, three months later than originally planned.

The FSA said: “The paper proposes that the threshold for determining which businesses fall into the ‘low throughput’ category should be expanded. Meat plants falling into this category could pay reduced charges in a tiered system, depending on the volume of livestock units or meat they process.”

The move comes as a response to a furious protest by the industry at the proposed plans, ahead of the public consultation meetings on 15 and 16 May.